Stirring account of the Greeks' encounters with the Persians in the 5th century B.C., including the battle of Marathon, the defense of Thermopylae, and the battle of Salamis, all retold from the history of Herodotus. Illustrations from sculptures and vases accompany the text. Ages 12-15

211 pages

$10.95

OF THE MARCH OF XERXES

[126] XERXES made Mascames governor of the fort of Doricus.
This man he esteemed very highly, sending him gifts
every year; and Artaxerxes after him sent gifts to the
children of Mascames. Nor, indeed was any of the
Persian governors held in greater honor, save Boges
only. This Boges was besieged in Eion that is on the
river Strymon by Cimon and the Athenians. And though he
might have made an agreement with them and come out
from Eion and returned safe to Asia, he would not, lest
he should seem to the King to have failed in valor, but
held out to the last. And when there was no food
remaining in the fort, he caused a great pile of wood
to be built, and slew his children and his wife and his
concubines and his slaves, and cast them into the fire.
After this he threw all the gold and silver that was in
the fort into
[127] the river; and last of all he cast himself into the
fire. With good cause, therefore, do the Persians honor
him to this day.

Then Xerxes went on his way from Doricus westward; and
whomsoever he found he compelled to take service with
him. The road by which he went the Thracians in after
time held in great honor, and did not plow it or sow
it.

When the King came to Acanthus that is by Mount Athos,
and saw what had been done with the trench, and knew
that the people of Acanthus had been very zealous in
the work, he sent them a Persian dress for a gift, and
praised them much. While he tarried here Artachæes, a
Persian, and of the royal house, who had been set over
the digging of the trench, fell sick and died. He
excelled in stature all the Persians, being but five
fingers short of five cubits of the royal measure, and
his voice surpassed that of other men. Wherefore the
King was much troubled at his death, and buried him
with great honor, and all the host made a mound over
his grave. Afterward the people of Acanthus sacrificed
to this
[128] man as to a hero, being bidden so to do by an oracle.

OFFERINGS

As for the Greeks that fed the army and entertained
Xerxes, they were brought to great poverty, so that
many of them were driven to forsake their homes. For
when the people of Thasos, having possessions on the
mainland, were commanded so to entertain the army of
Xerxes, a certain Antipater, one of the chiefest of the
citizens, having the charge of the matter, showed that
there were expended on the meal four hundred talents of
silver. In other cities also they that had this charge
made the same reckoning. And, indeed, this
entertainment was ordered many days beforehand, and was
a matter of no small preparation. The manner of it was
this. So soon as they received the commandment from
the heralds that were sent to give them warning, then
the citizens set about grinding wheat and barley. This
they did for many months. Also they fatted beasts,
finding the best that they could buy; and they reared
birds, both land-birds and water-birds, in buildings
and ponds for the entertaining of the army. Also they
prepared cups and bowls of gold and
[129] silver and all other things for the furniture of the
table. This indeed they did for the King and for them
that sat at meat with him only; but for the rest of the
army they made ready only such food as had been
commanded. For Xerxes a tent was made ready wherein he
might lodge; but the rest of the army lodged without
shelter. So soon as the time of eating came they that
entertained had great toil and trouble; and the soldiers
ate their fill and staid that night in the same place.
The next day they tare down the tent and took all the
furniture, leaving nothing, but carrying all away with
them. Well therefore did Megacreon of Abdera speak
when he counseled the men of Abdera to go with their
wives and children to the temples, and after putting up
prayers for the time to come, thank the Gods that it
was not the pleasure of King Xerxes to have two meals
in the day, for that verily if he had desired not only
dinner but breakfast also, then must the people of
Abdera have either fled from before the King or,
awaiting his coming, have been utterly ruined.

At this town of Acanthus Xerxes commanded the fleet
that it should sail through the trench
[130] by Mount Athos and should await his coming at Therma;
but he himself led his army through the land of Pæonia.
Here the camels that carried the victuals for the host
were set upon by lions, which coming by night from
their dens touched neither man nor beast but the camels
only; but what it was that drave them to this,
considering that they had never before seen the beast,
or made any trial of it, no man can say. There are many
lions in this country, and wild oxen also with very
long horns, which are brought into Greece. So Xerxes
came to Therma; and being at Therma he saw the two
mountains Olympus and Ossa, which are indeed
marvelously high. And when he heard that there was
between these mountains a narrow pass through which ran
a river, and that this was the road into Thessaly, he
conceived a desire to go on shipboard and see the place
where the river flowed into the sea. Wherefore he
embarked on a ship of Sidon, the same that he was wont
to use when he would go on such a journey, and gave the
signal for the others to set sail also. And when he
came to the place, he marveled much at the outflow of
the rivers,
[131] and calling to him the guide would fain know whether it
were possible to bring the rivers into the sea by any
other way.

Men say that in old time Thessaly was a great lake,
being shut in on every side by high mountains. And
indeed toward the east Ossa and Pelion are joined
together at the base, and on the north is Olympus, and
on the west Pindus, and on the south Othrys. In this
land there are many rivers which all make their way
into the sea by one channel, even the Peneus. But they
say that in old time this channel was not, but that
afterward Poseidon made it; which may well be if
Poseidon brings earthquakes to pass, and if chasms are
his handiwork. For it is manifest that the hills have
been torn asunder by an earthquake. When therefore
Xerxes asked the guides whether the water could pass by
any other outlet into the sea, the men, as knowing the
nature of the place, made answer, "There is no other
way, O King, by which this water can pass into the sea
save this which thou now seest; for Thessaly is girded
about with hills."

Then said Xerxes, "The men of Thessaly are
[132] wise. Good reason had they to change their minds in
time and to make provision for their safety. For, not
to speak of other things, they knew that they dwelt in
a land which it was easy to subdue. For nothing was
needed save to turn the river upon their lands,
building up a mound in this channel,and so turning the
stream from its course. So would all Thessaly be
changed into a lake."

When the King said this he thought of the sons of
Aleuas, who had made their submission to him first of
all the Greeks, being Thessalians. And he thought that
they had done this in the name of the whole people.
After this the King went back to Therma. And here there
came to him the heralds whom he had sent to the Greek
cities demanding earth and water, some being
empty-handed and some carrying that for which they had
been sent. Many nations gave earth and water, as the
Thessalians and the Locrians and the Bœotians; only the
men of Platæa and Thespiæ, that are towns of the
Bœotians, gave them not. Against all such the Greeks
that stood up against the barbarians sware this oath:
"From all people who being
[133] Greeks have given themselves up to the Persians,
without necessity compelling, we will take a tithe of
their goods, and offer it to the god at Delphi."

Now it must be remembered that Xerxes, though he said
that he was marching against Athens, had it in his mind
to subdue all Greece. And this the Greeks knew
beforehand, though indeed they did not all regard the
matter in the same way. For some had no fear of the
barbarians, as having given them earth and water, and
thinking therefore that they should receive from them
no harm; but others, having not given these things,
were in great fear. For whereas they thought that all
the ships in Greece were not enough to meet the
Persians, so also they knew that the greater part of
the cities would take no part in the war, but greatly
favored the enemy.

And here must be said a thing which because it is true
ought to be said, though most men will mislike it. If
the Athenians, for fear of the danger that was coming
upon them, had left their country, or, not leaving it,
had submitted themselves to Xerxes, then certainly none
would
[134] have sought to withstand the Persians by sea; and if
none had withstood the Persians by sea, then there
would have come to pass on the land what shall now be
set forth. Though many breastworks had been built
across the Isthmus, yet would the Lacedæmonians have
been betrayed by their allies; not of their free will,
indeed, but because their cities would have been taken,
one after the other, by the fleet of the barbarians.
So would they in the end have been left alone, and
being so left alone, after many deeds of valor, would
have perished with great glory. Or if not, then seeing
beforehand that all the other Greeks were submitting
themselves to the Persians, they also would have made
an agreement with Xerxes. So, in either case, would
Greece have been made subject to the barbarians. For
what would have been the profit of walls built across
the Isthmus while the King had the mastery by sea? If a
man then should say that in truth the Athenians were
the saviours of Greece, he would speak truly; for to
whichever side they had inclined that would have been
the weightier. And they, having a fixed purpose that
Greece should be
[135] free, stirred up all the nations that had not
submitted themselves to the Persians, and so, next to
the Gods, drave back the enemy.

And this they did though they were sorely terrified by
the oracle. For when they sent messengers to inquire of
the god at Delphi, and these had offered sacrifices
after the custom, and were now come into the shrine,
the priestess gave to them this answer. (The name of
the priestess was Aristonice).

"Why sit ye still? Fly, wretched race,

To earth's far bounds the fatal place.

Fly hearth and home and craggy hill,

Round which the wheel-like city stands;

Through all her being fares she ill,

Body, and head, and feet, and hands.

The fire consumes them, and from far,

Wild Ares drives his Syrian car.

Full many a tower, both fair and tall,

Not thine alone, before him fall;

Full many a holy place and shrine

The fire's devouring flames shall seize;

Cold stands the sweat on face divine,

And shake with fear the trembling knees;

From high-pitched roof the blood-drops fall,

Fell signs of storm and coming woe;

Leave, suppliant band, Apollo's hall,

Prepare you for the fate ye know."

When the messengers from Athens heard
[136] these words they were greatly troubled. But Timon the
son of Androbulus, a chief man among the citizens of
Delphi, seeing how utterly cast down they were by the
evil that was prophesied concerning their country,
counseled them that they should take tokens of
suppliants in their hands, and in this guise go and
inquire of the oracle once more. This then the
Athenians did, and spake, saying, "O King, prophesy
unto us some better thing about our country, having
regard to these tokens of suppliants which we bring
into thy presence. Else will we not depart from thy
sanctuary, but will abide here till the day of our
death." Then the priestess prophesied to them a second
time, using these words:

"Pallas desires with deep desire

To change the purpose of her sire.

Again entreats him, and again;

But vain her prayers, her counsel vain.

Yet sons of Athens, hear once more

The firm, unyielding word of fate;

Whene'er the fair Cecropian state,

From bound to bound and shore to shore

Before the foeman's might shall bow,

One boon will Zeus All-wise allow

To Pallas' prayer—that ne'er shall fall

[137]

Fair Athens' stay, her wooden wall:

Think not to wait that evil hour

Horsemen or footmen's dark array;

Fly, fly their host; yet comes the hour

Ye stand to meet the foemen's power.

Thou, holy Salamis, shalt bring

Dark death to sons of women born,

Or when abroad the seed they fling,

Or when they pluck the ripened corn."

These words seemed to be, as indeed they were, milder than
the former words. So the envoys wrote them down, and
returned with them to Athens.

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